PDYM ~ Component 1: Healthy Youth Ministries have Spiritually Healthy Leaders

Summary:-

Problem 1 - I Couldn't Create Attractive Programs Like Those of Other Churches

~ "Copying someone else's program always led to failure"

Problem 2 - Perhaps I Wasn't the Right Person for Youth Ministry
~ "My desire for doing ministry had long moved from pleasing God to appeasing people"

Problem 3 - I Could Never Do Enough to Please Everyone

~ "I sensed God saying, "Doug, you'll never be able to do enough to please everyone. Focus on me. Rest in me. Abide in me. When your heart is turned toward me, we can work together and do some good things.""
~ "I was spending all my time doing the work of God without being a person of God"

~ "...if I stayed dependent and focused on God, he would empower me to be his servant and thus accomplish his purposes in my ministry"

Q: How does one become a Youth Worker who depends on God?

Answer 1 - Recognise God's Power Through Personal Humility

~ "God doesn't need a program in order to work"

~ "When lives are changed, when attendance increases, when good things happen, we need to recognise God's power and give praise and credit to him"

~ "It is truly humbling to think about the awesome privilege and responsibility of being used by God"

Answer 2 - Submit Your Abilities to God and Allow His Power to Work Through Who You Are

~ "Allow your abilities to be ignited by the divine power that is revealed in a believer's life. Rejoice that your presence and your words give the power of God another opportunity to be communicated to student whom God loves"

Answer 3 - Focus on Being a Person of God Before Doing the Work of God

~ "You can never do enough"

~ "Don't allow doing the work of God to come at the expense of being God's person"

~ "Strengthen your youth ministry by placing a higher priority on being than doing"

~ "The power of God working in the lives of leaders is the foundation of a healthy youth ministry"

"Olley, Olley Oxen, Free, Free, Free"

~ "God is compassionately calling us back home where we are free to be safe and secure in our relationship with him. It is here that we can put first things first by developing our own spiritual lives and focusing on growing in Christ"

~ the students need a living model - a person of God who is passionate about his or her faith

~ our faith will help us develop a strong foundation for a healthy youth ministry

~ "No youth ministry idea or program can compete with God's power working in and through you as he gives you a passion for students and you give him a pure heart"

~ "By relying on God and trusting in his power, you leave room for him to do his work"

Making It Personal

~ our spiritual walk is a vital part of our ministry's health equation

1. Admit our struggles to ourselves

2. Ask God for the power to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness [1 Timothy 4:7]

3. Ask God for the courage to confess these struggles to a friend who cares deeply about us and who can help us

4. Work with this friend on a spiritual restoration plan

Discussion:

1. Do you have a youth ministry environment where spiritual growth is valued?

2. Do your students sense that the youth ministry leaders are men and women of God?

3. What role does prayer play in your ministry?

4. As a team, are you honestly concerned with students' spiritual health or the exhilaration from the hype of great programs?

5. How can you encourage spirituality among your leadership?

6. What will you do if you see a leader showing signs of a hard heart?

7. Where is God's power evident in your ministry?